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Downtown move-outs no mystery

This mayor and numerous of his predecessors have all wondered why there were no people downtown. Yet they have never uttered a word about the Huntsville Housing Authority's 50-year old process of forcing people from downtown.

How can you add people by forcing them out? Neither this mayor nor any other nor councilmen nor state legislators have defended the residents of Councill Courts. But when a few homeowners in south Huntsville were disturbed, they received multiple defenders and even bills introduced into the state legislature to protect. The farce would be laughable if it were not so ludicrous.

The HHA and the city planning department have been destroying the south and west of downtown for decades. From California Street to the public library to the Huntsville depot were once thick with residents - until the city "fathers" decided to run them out of town and then had the audacity to wonder where they were.

Councill Courts can still be reclaimed. Do not spend another dime of taxpayer money on another fly-by-night developers' scheme. (What grocery store is going to come to an area to sell to a couple of dozen residents?)

This subservience to the rich by degrading the poor must stop. Let the developer pay for his own schemes and build on all the empty parking lots around downtown.

It was so knowledgeable and informative! He really has a handle on the things going on, and he has so much wisdom.

Thank you for letting him share his insights with us!

Mary F. Johnston

Huntsville, 35803

Circuit court clerk 'efficient'

The March 25 Times featured a story relating to actions being considered by the Alabama Legislature to reorganize the supervision of Madison County's court system. There appears to be no special reason for this other than to conform to the system embraced by other circuits.

In this shake-up, the court administrator would be removed from the office of the circuit court clerk, currently Jane Smith, and placed under direct supervision of the circuit judges. This appears to be connected to the recent finding of a misdemeanor on Smith's part relating to sharing a restricted password with a consultant working for Smith.

I have never met a more capable, personable and efficient public servant anywhere in our locale. As a juror in court cases, I have watched Jane Smith operate with efficiency, respect and good cheer in spite of seemingly ever-changing complications in conducting her many responsibilities.

The proposed changes would most likely disrupt the smooth operation of the functions administered by her at the worst possible time in view of the increasing court workload.

This seems to be a classic case of "If it ain't broke, fix it anyway."